Japan Holds Annual Baby Crying Contest

Do you love to hear crying babies but wish you could somehow mix in some Sumo wrestler with each wail? Then the annual Naki Sumo (crying baby contest) in Japan might be for you. From the article: "Eager mothers bring the babies to the event where Sumo wrestlers and high priests are on hand to coax babies into a maddened state of wailing. The event, which marks the high point of spring, is held each year at the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo. The baby to cry loudest and longest wins the contest. The competition is also intended to generate good health for the babies. This year Sumo wrestlers coaxed 80 babies, all less than a year old, to cry.

Comments

Good Health, huh?

[kiehlster]

This coming after we just heard a study finding that letting your baby cry is bad for their health.

Re:Good Health, huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

While letting your baby cry out on a daily basis is horrible for their emotional development, having them cry for a few minutes in a controlled way to be coddled and loved afterwards (for their good performance) is completely different. There is no comparison, but I'm still curious how you linked the two... Reminds me of some guy who screamed bloody beastiality when he saw a picture of a naked man next to a pig despite it simply illustrating their likeness.

Breast fed by a Sumo wrestler

[Anonymous Coward]

...would make me cry too.

nakisumo

[NemosomeN]

naki sumo isn't "Crying Baby Contest" It's "Crying Sumo" (Crying as a gerund). If you put english in parentheses after a foreign word, it's assumed it's a direct translation. (Assuming slashcode doesn't still bork Japanese)